Flooring-jack



(No Model.)

IN VEJVTOR. M M

Patented Jan. 18, 1898.

s 1 4 u A if I\ f w m s m m W UNITED STATES A PATENT Fries.

DAVID DUTT, OF RIVERDALE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES W.ROBINSON, OF VESTABURG, MICHIGAN.

FLOORlNG-JACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,671, dated January18, 1898.

Application filed April15, 1897. $eria1 No. 632,236. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID DUTT, a citizen of the United States, residingat Riverdale, in the county of Gratiot and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Im: movements in Flooring-Jacks; and Ido here by declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the inventiomsuch as will enable others skilled'in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in flooring-jacks;and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, ashereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out particularly in the claim.

The object of the invention is to provide a jack of the character setforth which may be quickly and easily clamped to rafters or stringers ofvarious thicknesses for holding it in position, there being also amovable lever and a ramming device, which object is attained by theconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a general perspective view of a flooring-jack as made in accordancewith my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of the adjustable clamping-jaw.

The body portion of this jack consists of a side plate 1, having a baseor shelf 2 formed integral therewith and extending at right anglestherefrom. Rising from said plate 1 and base 2, parallel with eachother, are cars 3, and extending between said ears from one to the otheris a bolt 4:. Pivoted upon said bolt is a segment 5, said segment havinggearteeth around its gear edge and a socket 6, extending from its axis,in which socket a lever 7, formed of wood or other suitable material, isadapted to be seated and secured.

Adapted to be moved longitudinally within the guideway formed betweenears 3 and base 2 is a bar 8, having gear-teeth arranged along its upperedge, said teeth being of such size and formation as to mesh with theteeth of segment 5. The forward end of said bar ter- Ininates in aright-angled head 9, said head being provided with channels in its frontside and a recess or notch 9' therein for purposes hereinafter referredto.

It will be seen that by throwing lever 7 to the right (looking atFig. 1) bar 8 and head 9 will be protruded, and if said lever be thrownin the opposite direction they will be retracted. Projecting from theouter face of plate 1 is a sleeve 11, the outer end or face of which isbeveled. Extending through said sleeve and base 2 is a bolt 10, saidbolt hav iug mounted upon its outer end a clampinglever 12. The outerend of said lever 12 is provided with an operating foot piece, its lowerend being beveled to correspond with the bevel of sleeve 11. Theopposite end of said bolt has an adjustable clamping-jaw 13 mountedthereon. Said jaw 13 is clearly represented in Fig. 3, in which view isshown a sleeve 14, formed integral therewith,the opening through saidsleeve leading outward from the front face of said j aw, Thebearing-face of said adjustable jaw is provided with a series of pointedheads 15, which are adapted to penetrate the surface of the beam orstringer upon which it is to be clamped. The opposite corresponding faceof plate 1 is provided with a series of vertical extending corrugations.(Shown at 16 in Fig. 2.) Mounted upon bolt 10, adjacent to adjust-ablejaw 13, is a sleeve l7.

l8 designates a suitable not which is adapted to be screwed upon thethreaded end of bolt 10 to bind clamping-lever 12, base 2, jaw 13, and.sleeve 17.

Should the jack herein described be used in constructing a floor whereinlarger rafters than the one shown at 8 be employed, sleeve 17 would notbe employed, but adj Listing-jaw 13 would be moved outward and comedirectly in contact with nut 18, as will be readily understood.

lVhen desired to force a flooring strip tightly against the onecontiguous thereto, the improved tool herein described is placed uponone of the rafters adjacent to the newlylaid strip and clamping-lever l2operated to cause its angled face to bear against the correspondingangled face of sleeve 11, which draws upon bolt 10 and firmly clamps thejack upon said rafter, as will be apparent. When the tool has thus beensecured, lever 7 will be inclined or lying over to the left, and bythrowing it in the opposite direction bar 8 and head 9 will be movedoutward toward the strip to be clamped, allowing the tongue of saidflooring-strip to lie Within the groove in the outer face of head 9.When the strip has been compressed to the desired degree, a nail orother suitable fasteningdevice may be driven through said strip into therafter in the usual manner, the notch or recess 9 being formed for theadmission of said nail, which notch comes directly in line with therafter to which the device is secured. hen desired to remove the jack, acorresponding reverse operation of the levers releases the parts, aswill be readily understood.

A downward bend is formed at 19 in bar 8, so that a flooring-strip maybe tightly clamped while lying fiat upon the rafter.

It will thus be seen that the construction and arrangement of partshereinbefore set forth produces a flooring-jack that may be cheaplymanufactured and one which is adjustable and easily secured in place,quickly operated to produce the desired result, and one which may bequickly removed for a succeeding operation.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A flooring-jack consisting of side and base plates, said plates havingparallel ears rising therefrom, the segment pivoted between said ears,the operating-lever secured to said segment, the rack-bar adapted to beprojected and retracted between said ears bythe operation of saidsegment, the downwardly-loent neck of said bar, the notched and groovedcross-head formed integral with said neck, the movable jaw adjustablysecured to said base-plate, the angled sleeve projecting from the outerface of said plate 1 and the clamping-lever having acorrespondingly-angled end, and the parts adapted to be operated,substantially as shown and described for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID DUTT.

'Witnesses:

J. W. NICKERSON, J. F. THURLBY.

